Acronis Commits to Opening Research and Development Center in Arizona, Bringing Jobs and an Economic Boost to Region

Acronis, a global leader in hybrid cloud data protection, officially opened its office in Scottsdale, Arizona with a ribbon cutting ceremony and announcement of a new R&D center in Arizona. Scottsdale Mayor W.J. "Jim" Lane, together with the representatives from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) and the City of Scottsdale, attended the event marking Acronis' commitment to bringing new jobs and high-tech investments into the region.

Acronis' new office is initially focused on sales and is actively hiring sales employees. That is just the start, as Acronis pledged a 10 million dollar investment into the city over the next three years through future research and development (R&D) projects in machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based ransomware protection, involving local talent. Acronis will provide extensive training and mentoring for all new team members of the R&D center.

To mark this momentous event, Acronis employees assembled Huffy bicycles to donate to the Arizona Association for Foster & Adoptive Parents. Joe Jacober, director of the Association, accepted the bikes on the charity's behalf. In addition, with the support of the ACA, GPEC and the City of Scottsdale, Acronis donated backpacks full of school supplies and presented them to Mr. Jacober, continuing Acronis' emphasis on science and education.

"We are excited that Acronis selected Scottsdale as its location for expanding its US presence," said Mayor Lane. "We have worked hard to make the city welcoming and attractive to global businesses and this is another proof point of those efforts. We are all embracing disruptive technologies and the next wave of innovation that will shape our future. Acronis and Scottsdale are at the forefront of those efforts."

"Arizona is known for our pioneering spirit and culture of innovation," said Sandra Watson, President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. "Acronis - a global leader in next-generation technologies - fits perfectly into this culture. We are proud the company has chosen to call Arizona home, and congratulate them on the official opening of this new Scottsdale operation."

Acronis was founded in 2003 in Singapore with a primary focus on offering innovative data protection solutions to consumers, businesses and service providers. To meet the rapid growth demands, the company expanded overseas, opening its corporate headquarters in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and established a presence in key markets, including U.S., Germany, Japan, Russia, and Australia. The Scottsdale, Arizona office is the third US office for Acronis, who has a presence in Massachusetts and Virginia as well.

"Scottsdale has a strong pool of young, energetic and smart talent. We believe it could be the next Silicon Valley and our Arizona office is another step forward in our company's larger global growth plans and corporate strategy," said John Zanni, President of Acronis. "We continue to have a strong focus in developing leading edge technology while investing in education and supporting the local community where we have presence and in areas of need - as demonstrated by our charity efforts in Scottsdale, our continued economic development efforts in the regions where we do business and our recent opening of a school in Myanmar."

Acronis provides complete data protection solutions for businesses of any size and individual users. Products built on Acronis hybrid cloud architecture offer complete data management flexibility, AI-based ransomware protection capable of blocking zero-day cyber-attacks, and blockchain-based data certification for immutable proof of data validity. In the last year alone, Acronis True Image business increased by 20%, Acronis Backup by 25% and Acronis Access business by over 200% as of September 2017. Acronis Backup Cloud, innovative Backup-as-a-Service for service providers also continues to grow at a rate of more than 100% a year, accompanied by a 350% growth in the number of protected devices and 400% growth of data stored in the Acronis Cloud.

Scottsdale is one of the state's leading job centers, with a diverse economy built on medical research, high-tech innovation, tourism and corporate headquarters. Scottsdale is home to nearly 18,000 businesses supplying over 150,000 jobs. The high-tech innovation center SkySong, located just a few miles from Downtown, is designed to help companies grow through a unique partnership with nearby Arizona State University. The Scottsdale Cure Corridor is a partnership of premier health care providers and biomedical companies seeking to advance medicine and patient care through cutting-edge research. For more information, visit ChooseScottsdale.com.

A true public-private partnership, GPEC is the regional economic development organization for Greater Phoenix. Working with its 22 member communities, Maricopa County and more than 160 private investors, GPEC attracts quality businesses to this dynamic region. By creating a high-performance economy through capital investments and jobs, Greater Phoenix companies enjoy a business climate where they can compete and thrive in today's global economy. Since 1989, GPEC has worked to achieve an economically sound and sustainable region. For more information, visit www.gpec.org.